By Brad Gallagher, Vista Valencia
Hello golf enthusiasts, my name is Brad Gallagher. This first column is a little bit of an introduction to who I am and, my “office.”
I am the director of instruction at Vista Valencia Golf Club, where I started working in May 2006.
I was originally hired as the assistant general manager and moved to my current position in December 2007.
It was a natural fit as I played golf all four years in high school at Saugus High, then at Pierce Community College and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
I turned professional in the spring of 1988, and played professional golf for the next 10 years or so on mini-tours in California for the most part.
I also played the Canadian PGA Tour, the Golden Bear Tour (named and endorsed by the golf legend Jack Nicklaus) and various state opens over those years. Over my playing career, I was able to win a total of 26 mini-tour events.
In 1990, I played with a legend in the game named Tiger Woods in a qualifying round for the “Los Angeles Open.” I was 25, and Tiger was only 15. The kid beat me by one shot, but neither of us qualified for the opportunity to play at the famous Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
The purpose of this column is to give the people of Santa Clarita a little bit of help with their game, if they already play the great game, and hopefully spark some interest for the people whom have never played and may or may not have considered taking up the game.
One of the best things about the game of golf is that players of completely different ability levels can play the game together and have a wonderful time doing so. There are many other games/sports that playing with someone much better or worse would not be near as much fun. Golf can also be played for most if not all of our lives. Many other games have to be given up when we are still relatively young.
Vista Valencia offers private and group lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced golfers. We also offer free clinics to members of our membership called, “The Players Club.”
For more information about Vista Valencia, its membership program or for lesson information, contact Brad Gallagher at [email protected] or by calling 661-253-1870, ext. 2.
